The 2002 season was the Tennessee Titans' 33rd in the National Football League and 43rd overall. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 7–9, managing eleven victories.2002 Tennessee Titans After starting 1–4, the Titans won 10 of their next 11 games. They qualified for the playoffs with a first-round bye, but were unable to reach the Super Bowl, losing to the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship. The Titans would not return to the AFC Championship again until 2019.
The season also marked the first time that the Titans would return to Houston, in a week 17 match against the Texans since relocating 5 years earlier.
As of 2025, this was the last time the Titans won a home playoff game, having gone 0–3 since.
Offseason Signings Departures S Rich Coady (Rams) DT Josh Evans (Jets) FB Robert Holcombe (Rams) DT Jason Fisk (Chargers) FS Lance Schulters (49ers) C Bruce Matthews (retired) OLB Eddie Robinson (Bills)
NFL draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 2002 undrafted free agents of note Player Position CollegeKevin AldridgeDefensive endSMUNate BradyTight endChattanoogaKyle BennCenterWashingtonAntuian BradfordLinebackerVanderbiltMarion BushDefensive tackleUABDedrick DewaltWide receiverBoston CollegeOrlando IglesiasWide receiverHoustonNate JacksonSafetyHawaiiJoe JudgeSafetyMcNeese StateBrad KassellLinebackerNorth TexasMatt MartinGuardKansas StateDicenzo MillerRunning backMississippi StateNate MorrowLinebackerVanderbiltBilly NewmanSafetyWashington StateJohn SimonRunning backLouisiana TechMarcus SmithCornerbackMemphisRyan WatsonDefensive tackleAppalachian State
Personnel Coaching staff
Roster
Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record 1 August 10, 2002 St. Louis Rams W 28–26 1–0 2 August 15, 2002 Oakland Raiders W 24–14 2–0 3 August 23, 2002 at Minnesota Vikings L 10–14 2–1 4 August 30, 2002 at Green Bay Packers L 20–21 2–2
Regular season Under the NFL's divisional realignment, the Titans were moved from the AFC Central, where they had played since the NFL–AFL merger in 1970, into the new AFC South. In addition to their home and away games with AFC South opponents, the Titans in 2002 played games against the AFC North and NFC East according to the league's new schedule rotation. They also played one game each against the Patriots and the Raiders based upon standings from 2001. Schedule Week Date Opponent Result TV Time (CT) Record Attendance 1 September 8 Philadelphia Eagles W 27–24 FOX 12:00 pm 1–0 68,804 2 September 15 at Dallas Cowboys L 13–21 CBS 12:00 pm 1–1 62,527 3 September 22 Cleveland Browns L 28–31 (OT) CBS 12:00 pm 1–2 68,804 4 September 29 at Oakland Raiders L 25–52 CBS 3:15 pm 1–3 58,719 5 October 6 Washington Redskins L 14–31 FOX 12:00 pm 1–4 68,804 6 October 13 Jacksonville Jaguars W 23–14 CBS 3:15 pm 2–4 68,804 7 Bye 8 October 27 at Cincinnati Bengals W 30–24 CBS 12:00 pm 3–4 52,822 9 November 3 at Indianapolis Colts W 23–15 CBS 12:00 pm 4–4 56,752 10 November 10 Houston Texans W 17–10 CBS 12:00 pm 5–4 68,804 11 November 17 Pittsburgh Steelers W 31–23 CBS 12:00 pm 6–4 68,804 12 November 24 at Baltimore Ravens L 12–13 CBS 12:00 pm 6–5 69,365 13 December 1 at New York Giants W 32–29 (OT) CBS 12:00 pm 7–5 78,640 14 December 8 Indianapolis Colts W 27–17 CBS 12:00 pm 8–5 68,804 15 December 16 New England Patriots W 24–7 ABC 8:08 pm 9–5 68,809 16 December 22 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 28–10 CBS 12:00 pm 10–5 51,033 17 December 29 at Houston Texans W 13–3 CBS 12:00 pm 11–5 70,694 Note: Division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys
Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 15: vs. New England Patriots
Standings Division
Conference
Playoffs Week Date Opponent Result Attendance Divisional January 11, 2003 Pittsburgh Steelers W 34–31 68,809 Conference Championship January 19, 2003 at Oakland Raiders L 24–41 62,544
AFC Divisional Playoff vs Pittsburgh Steelers
This was the Titans franchise's first playoff win over the Steelers in four tries, following three losses as the Oilers in 1978, 1979 and 1989, the last of which was also in overtime. The Titans went to the AFC Championship to the Oakland Raiders and lost 41-24.
AFC Championship Game
This was the Titans' last appearance at the AFC championship game until 2019. The Titans were crashed and in 2003 finished 12-4, the same récord as the Colts they win to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round 20-17. But lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round 17-14.
References